Fastener for use in wearing apparel



Jan. 12, 1932. GRQH 1,840,896

FASTENER FOR USE 'IN WEARING APPAREL Filed Jan. 16, 1951 avn manna-nun Vnl'AVA navy:

A Home y latented Jan. 12, 1932.

AUGUST J. anon, on BROOKLYN, new YORK ears r Fri s p FASTENER FOR USE IN WEARING APPAREL Application filed January 16, 1931.. Serial No. 509,241.

lo threaded through a hem at the waist portion,

the elasticity of the strap becomes bent after, beingrepeatedly subjected to water during washing of the garment. This requires frequent replacement of theelastic strap which inecessitates the removal of the worn strap and the threading of new ones through the hem. It is the purpose of this invention to provide separable coacting fastening elements by which the ends of the elastic strap may be connected, and means attachable to one of the fastening elements which will enable quick and easy threading of the strap through the hem. Such features will enable the removal of the elastic strap from the garf-2 ment before washing to prolong the life of V the same, or if the strap is permitted to re main in the garment during washing, the invention facilitates the quick removal of the elastic strap when worn and ready replace- 7: ment by anew one.

Anoth-erfeature resides in a pair of coacting fastening elements which when in fastened position will lie flat against the body of a wearer and are securely held engaged by the tension upon the strap, but which will not accidentally become separated should such tension be I eleased by tlie body movement of the wearer. v

V Another objectis to provide a separate 40 fastener for the above mentioned purposes which is simple of construction, inexpensive of manufacture, and easy to connect'and disconnect. a I 1 1 i ,Withthese and other objects in view, the

" invention'resides in the certain novel conv invention as applied to a pair of ladies bloomstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully explained, are particularly pointed out in theappended claim, and are n I illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

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Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of ladies bloomers equipped with my invention, Figure 2 is a side elevational" view of the ends of an elastic 'strapj equipped with my improved fastener, the same being shown in separated'position in'full lines and in connected position in dotted lines,

, Figure 3 is atop plan viewof the fastening elements in'connected position, co

' Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View throu h the female fasteningelementillustrating t e manner in which the male element is inserted therethrough for connection therewith, I I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the manner in which the threading member is connected to the male element-of the fastener and inserted into the hem of a garment, and; Y I

Figure 6 is a detail elevational view of the" threa-ding member per se with part broken away in sections. 7 p

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, I have illustrated in Figure 1 the 1:

ers 10 provided with a'hem 11 at'the waist portion thereof and which hem is provided with an opening 12 at the rear portion of the garment on the inner side thereof. Although; I have shown a pair of bloomers in Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be understood that the same may be a ladies step-in petticoat jorany like garment. v

An elastic fabric.strap"13 is adapted to be threadedthrough'the hem 11 and secured at its ends in order to contract the waistencircling portion ofthe garment about the 'waistof a wearer and fixedly attachedto ihfiili fi pcctive ends of the strap'13 are male and female fastening elements 14 and 15 respectively.

The male element 14 is constructed of a single piece of flat bendable material and comprises a fiat body portion 16 of a width substantially the same as the width of the strap 13 while bent from the body portion 16 and extending a portion of the length thereof are attaching flanges 17 which if desired may have tangs struck therefrom for penetration into the elastic strap 13. However, the flanges 17 may serve to securely fasten the element to the elastic strap. Extending from the outer free end of the body 16 is a substantially T- shaped head 18 which has its outer end rounded as at 19 and is joined to the body 16 through a reduced neck20. By reference to Figure 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the head 18 is in the same'plane as the-body portion 16 for a purpose which will be appreciated hereinafter.

The female element 15 above referred to is also constructed of a single piece of flat bendable material and includes an elongated body 21, one end of which has attaching flanges 22 bent therefrom for securely attaching the element to one end of the elastic strap 13. These flanges 22 may also have tangs struck there from to securely hold the element against accidental separation from the elastic strap. The outer end of the body portion 21 is rounded as at 23'and is bent or offset on one side to provide shoulders 24 and a lip 25. The body portion isalso provided with a substantially T-hole shaped slot which includes a relatively narrow elongated slot 26 extending lengthwise of the body member and which terminates at its outer end in an enlarged opening 27, which opening also extends into a portion of the lip 25.

Assuming that the fastening elements 14 and 15 are separated as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and it is desired to bring the same into operative engagement with each other. In such cases, it is only necessary to insert the head 18 through the slot 26 and opening 27 from the underside of the female element, after which the neck 20 is disposed so as to enable the male element to be given a one-quarter turn, after whichit is brought into the same general plane as the female element and by exerting a pull against the two fastening elements, the inner sides of the head 18 will engage the shoulders24 Which prevents accidental shifting of the elements latterly while the lip 25 overlaps a portion of the body 16 of the male element to lend strength to the joint between the inter-connecting element. It will therefore be seen that a pull uponthe coactingfastening .elements in opposite directions will securely hold the said elements in locked engagement but upon the release of anypull: against the elements in order to facilitate the separation of the same, it is only necessary to turn the male element 14 so as to position the head 18 in alineinent with the slot 26, whereupon the two elements may be separated.

Assume that it is desired to thread the elastic strap 13 through the opening 12 and into the hem 11 of the garment 10. For this purpose I provide a needle member 28 which comprises a cylindrical body 29 which is pointed at one end as at 30 while one side of blunt end of the body is provided with a transversely disposed recess 31 which opens onto the outer blunt end of the body through a restricted slot 32. The slot 32 forms a pair of spaced lugs 33 which have their inner wall notched as at 34. By reference to Figure 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the T- V shaped head of the male element 14 may be inserted into the recess 31 and slot 32 and after insertion therein, the shoulders of the head will seat in the notches 34 to prevent accidental separation of the male element fronrthe blunt end of the threading member 28. With one end of the elastic strap 13 connected to the threading member, it will be seen that the pointed end 30 of the threading member may be easily inserted through the opening 12 in the hem and worked around the hem so as to completely draw the strap therethrough. After the elastic strap has been threaded into the hem 11, the threading member 28 is separated from the male element 14 and the said element 14 is then connected to the female element 15 in the manner hereinbefore explained. When the fastening elements are connected, they are disposed adjacent the opening 12 in the hem to be readily accessible when it is desired to disconnect them for the removal of the elastic strap should it be desired to replace the elastic when worn by a new one or if the owner wishes to preserve the elasticity of the strap during the washing of the garment so as to prevent the damaging effect of the water upon the elastic.

While I have shown and described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that various changes in construction may be resorted to if desired, and I do not limit myself tothe exact structural details herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is;

A separable fastener including a male member comprising a flat body formed with a T-shaped head having an outer rounded edge, a female member comprising a flat body, the outer end of said body being bent to provide an offset outwardly extending lip,

the outer edge of said lip being rounded, the ofiset portion constituting a shoulder, said i flat body having a substantially keyhole shaped slot therein, the enlarged end of which extends into said lip, whereby said T-shaped head may be inserted through said slot and turned to cause the inner edges of said T- shaped head to abut said shoulder with said lip flatly overlapping one side of the neck of said T-shaped head.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

AUGUST J. GROH. 

